The BCS allows detailed studies of the statistical properties of
galaxy clusters in the local Universe, such as the characteristics of
their central cluster galaxies or the local cluster X-ray luminosity
function. Providing a low-z reference point, the BCS is also of
crucial importance for studies of much more distant clusters whose
abundance and properties are sensitive cosmological probes.

BCS clusters have been the subject of numerous detailed follow-up
studies in a variety of wavebands ranging from the sub-mm (SZ effect)
to the X-ray regime. One example of an ongoing follow-up project is the
HST snapshot survey of the central cluster galaxies in BCS clusters.

Here is an electronic version of the ROSAT Brightest Cluster
Sample (BCS), consisting of the original
sample (comprising 203 clusters) as published in Ebeling et
al. (1998) and a low flux extension
(comprising an additional 107 clusters) as published in Ebeling et
al. (2000).

Note concerning the PDF offprint of Ebeling et al. 2000: "This is an
electronic version of an article published in Monthly Notices of the
Royal Astronomical Society: complete citation information for the
final version of the paper, as published in the print edition of
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, is available on the
Blackwell Science Synergy online delivery service, accessible via the
journal's Website at: http://www.blacksci.co.uk/MNR."

Important note:
A formatting error caused the flux of the Virgo cluster to be misprinted
in Table 3 of Ebeling et al. (1998). The table published in
MNRAS lists 821.1 instead of the correct value of 1821.1 [both in
units of 10^(-12) erg s^(-1) cm^(-2)]. This error has been corrected
in the electronic version of the table that can be obtained from this
Web site. Thanks to Don Horner of GSFC for pointing this out!